This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi Review

 Title: This Woven Kingdom

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult

Genre: Fantasy

Series: This Woven Kingdom, book one

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.

Trigger warnings: War, death, murder, harm to children, assassination. If any of these topics trigger you, I would recommend not reading this book. Your mental health always matters!

This book is the start of a brand new series by bestselling author, Tahereh Mafi, full of magic, darkness, and political intrigue. Alizeh is the heir to the fallen Djinn kingdom, alone and friendless in the country of Ardunia. Forced to hide her powers and work as a servant in noble households, her life is soon upended by meeting the Clay Prince of the country, Kamran. Drawn to him in ways that she can’t properly explain, Alizeh must decide if she will indeed avenge her people, or if this new possibility of friendship will help her forge a new path…

I really, really enjoyed this book! I loved the way Mafi took Persian mythology and gave it a unique, even more, magical spin. I loved the pacing; it was breakneck and I was immediately drawn into Alizeh’s world. The djinn and the humans, or Clay, and the way they were at war, was so convincing. Honestly, this book might be one of my favorites of 2022. I loved the lush country of Ardunia, and the way that the empire took control of the remaining djinn. The characters were well-drawn, especially Hazan, Alizeh, and Kamran. The political intrigue was a lot to keep up with; sometimes I wish there had been a dramatis personae in the front of the book. But nonetheless, I loved this book! It might be Mafi’s most ambitious yet. I can’t wait for the sequel! The bottom line: Rich with detail, political intrigue, and forbidden romance, I loved This Woven Kingdom!